noun
ADJECTIVE
▪ big , major
▪ chief , greatest , main
▪ enormous , formidable , huge , serious , significant
▪
The attitude of the unions is a serious ~.
▪ impossible ( esp. AmE ), insuperable ( formal ), insurmountable ( formal )
▪
the joy of overcoming seemingly impossible ~s
▪
Lack of money has proved an almost insurmountable ~.
▪ bureaucratic , legal , political
VERB + OBSTACLE
▪ be , become , constitute , prove , remain , represent
▪ create , pose , present
▪ come across ( esp. BrE ), encounter , face
▪ avoid , overcome , remove , surmount
▪
He was determined to overcome all ~s in his way.
OBSTACLE + NOUN
▪ course
PREPOSITION
▪ ~ for
▪
Lack of childcare provision can be a major ~ for women wishing to work.
▪ ~ to
▪
The huge distances involved have proved an ~ to communication.
PHRASES
▪ an ~ in the path (of sb/sth) , an ~ in the way (of sb/sth)
▪
The release of prisoners remains an ~ in the path of a peace agreement.